Career profile for Broadcast Announcer

What does a Broadcast Announcer do?

Broadcast Announcers speak or read from scripted materials, such as news reports or commercial messages, on radio, television, or other communications media.

In addition, Broadcast Announcers may play and queue music, announce artist or title of performance, identify station, or interview guests.

What kind of tasks does a Broadcast Announcer perform regularly?

Broadcast Announcers are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Operate control consoles.
Record commercials for later broadcast.
Study background information to prepare for programs or interviews.
Read news flashes to inform audiences of important events.
Announce musical selections, station breaks, commercials, or public service information, and accept requests from listening audience.
Identify stations, and introduce or close shows, ad-libbing or using memorized or read scripts.
Prepare and deliver news, sports, or weather reports, gathering and rewriting material so that it will convey required information and fit specific time slots.
Select program content, in conjunction with producers and assistants, based on factors such as program specialties, audience tastes, or requests from the public.
Comment on music and other matters, such as weather or traffic conditions.
Develop story lines for broadcasts.
Discuss various topics over the telephone with viewers or listeners.
Provide commentary and conduct interviews during sporting events, parades, conventions, or other events.
Interview show guests about their lives, their work, or topics of current interest.
Make promotional appearances at public or private events to represent their employers.
Attend press conferences to gather information for broadcast.
Host civic, charitable, or promotional events broadcast over television or radio.

The above responsibilities are specific to Broadcast Announcers. More generally, Broadcast Announcers are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Working with Computers		Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships		Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public		Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Processing Information		Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Working with Computers

Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public

Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Processing Information

Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

What is a Broadcast Announcer salary?

The median salary for a Broadcast Announcer is $36,770, and the average salary is $57,300. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Broadcast Announcer salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Broadcast Announcers earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Broadcast Announcers earn less than $19,580 per year, 25% earn less than $25,110, 75% earn less than $59,980, and 90% earn less than $114,050.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Broadcast Announcers is expected to change by 10.4%, and there should be roughly 3,300 open positions for Broadcast Announcers every year.

Median annual salary: $36,770
Typical salary range: $19,580 - $114,050
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 10.4%

What personality traits are common among Broadcast Announcers?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Broadcast Announcer are usually higher in their Artistic, Enterprising, and Social interests.

Broadcast Announcers typically have strong Artistic interests. Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Also, Broadcast Announcers typically have strong Enterprising interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Lastly, Broadcast Announcers typically have moderate Social interests. Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Broadcast Announcer tend to value Achievement, Recognition, and Independence.

Most importantly, Broadcast Announcers strongly value Achievement. Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

Second, Broadcast Announcers strongly value Recognition. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious.

Lastly, Broadcast Announcers strongly value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Broadcast Announcers must consistently demonstrate qualities such as dependability, integrity, and stress tolerance.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Broadcast Announcers, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Stress Tolerance		Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility		Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Stress Tolerance

Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Adaptability/Flexibility

Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

What education and training do Broadcast Announcers need?

Many Broadcast Announcers will have a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Broadcast Announcers usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Educational degrees among Broadcast Announcers

2.2% did not complete high school or secondary school
12.9% completed high school or secondary school
21.7% completed some college coursework
10.6% earned a Associate's degree
42.3% earned a Bachelor's degree
9.1% earned a Master's degree
1.3% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Broadcast Announcers

Broadcast Announcers may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as communications and media, computers and electronics, or customer and personal service knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Broadcast Announcers might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Communications and Media		Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Computers and Electronics		Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Telecommunications		Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Geography		Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

Communications and Media

Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Computers and Electronics

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Telecommunications

Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Geography

Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

Important Abilities needed by Broadcast Announcers

Broadcast Announcers must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Broadcast Announcers need abilities such as oral expression, speech clarity, and oral comprehension in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Broadcast Announcers, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Oral Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity		The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension		The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Speech Clarity

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Written Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Critical Skills needed by Broadcast Announcers

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Broadcast Announcers frequently use skills like speaking, reading comprehension, and active listening to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Broadcast Announcers, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension		Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Social Perceptiveness		Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Broadcast Announcer

Broadcast Announcer

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